HIPCs: Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers

Lord Judd: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What progress has so far been made with the initiative by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to encourage impoverished states to produce Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers.

Baroness Amos: The enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative, agreed in September 1999, made a direct link between debt relief and poverty reduction. As a result, all countries that are eligible for World Bank concessional lending are producing a national Poverty Reduction Strategy. These strategies will be presented as part of Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) to the Boards of the World Bank and the IMF for endorsement as the basis for lending programmes. The UK will use PRSPs as the framework for our assistance and we encourage other donors to do the same.
	Good poverty reduction strategies take time to produce. To qualify for HIPC debt relief, which begins at Decision Point, countries need only produce an interim PRSP. Interim PRSPs should map out how a country will draw up a full PRSP, which should be in place, and being implemented, at Completion Point. The Joint Implementation Committee, which oversees progress on the HIPC Initiative, is also taking an interest in how the Bank and Fund are taking forward PRSPs.
	The World Bank and the IMF have undertaken a lot of work to develop their thinking on PRSPs through workshops and the production of guidance to staff. This new approach requires the acquisition of new skills and adoption of a more facilitative approach so that countries have ownership of their poverty reduction strategies.

Eritrea: Food Relief

Lord Rea: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What action they propose to take, either alone or in conjunction with other donors, to meet the severe food shortage in Eritrea which is expected to result from population displacement from agricultural areas during the recent conflict.

Baroness Amos: The EC is providing a total of 65,400 metric tonnes of cereals to be delivered to Eritrea this year. The UK contributes 17 per cent of the cost.
	In addition, the UK has committed humantarian assistance worth £885,000 to help meet the needs of the internally displaced in Eritrea so far this year, with a further £250,000 for Eritrean refugees in Sudan.

Departmental Cars

Lord Hoyle: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 8 June (WA 173), what type and make of cars are used by the Cabinet Office.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: The Government Car and Despatch Agency operates a fleet of 190 cars, on behalf of all government departments, as shown in the table below. Seven of these vehicles are owned by the GCDA but operated by the Cabinet Office (Infrastructure Division).
	
		
			 Manufacturer Model Number Country of Manufacture 
			 Rover 800/Sterling series 35 United Kingdom 
			  400 series 6 United Kingdom 
			  R45 1 United Kingdom 
			  Discovery 2 United Kingdom 
			  
			 Jaguar Jaguar/Daimler 11 United Kingdom 
			  Limousine 1 United Kingdom 
			  
			 Ford Mondeo 56 Belgium 
			  Galaxy 3 Portugal 
			  Sierra 1 Belgium 
			  
			 Vauxhall Omega 35 Germany 
			  Vectra 29 United Kingdom 
			  Astra 4 Germany 
			  Cavalier 1 United Kingdom 
			  
			 Nissan Primera 5 United Kingdom 
			   
			 Total  190 
		
	
	In addition, one vehicle is leased by the Cabinet Office (Infrastructure Division) from Lex, which was made in the UK; one car is leased by the Civil Service College from A.A. Clark Ltd, which was made in the EU. The Cabinet Office Security Facilities Division also leases 23 cars--five Ford Mondeos, 14 Ford Escorts, four Vauxhall Astras and one Peugeot 406.

Departmental Cars

Lord Hoyle: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Williams of Mostyn on 14th June (WA 203) on the type and make of cars used by the Law Officers' department, what types, makes and numbers of cars are supplied to the Law Officers' Department by the Government Car and Despatch Agency.[HL
	 Question number missing in Hansard, possibly truncated question.

Lord Williams of Mostyn: I refer the noble Lord to the Answer given by my right honourable and learned friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office.

Departmental Cars

Lord Hoyle: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale on 22 June (WA 40) on the type and make of cars used by the Scottish Office, what types, makes and number of cars are supplied to the Scottish Office by the Government Car and Despatch Agency for the use of Ministers and senior officials; and[HL
	Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale on 22 June, what type, make and number of cars in each category are provided under contract by the Government Car and Despatch Agency for the use of Ministers and senior officials in the Scottish Office.[HL
	 Question number missing in Hansard, possibly truncated question.

Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale: I refer to the Answer given today by my noble and learned friend Lord Falconer of Thornton about the cars supplied by the Government Car and Despatch Agency.
	The agency provides two Rover saloons for the use of Scotland Office Ministers in London. The Government Car Service (Scotland), which is part of the Scottish Executive, also provides a range of cars for some UK Ministers in Scotland, Scottish Executive Ministers and others, including, where necessary, cars under contract from local private companies.

Scotland Office: Staff Numbers

Lord Mackay of Ardbrecknish: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What was the number of staff in the Scotland Office immediately after the transfer of responsibilities to the Scottish Parliament and Executive; and what is the number now.[HL
	 Question number missing in Hansard, possibly truncated question.

Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale: Following internal assessment, the Secretary of State and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury agreed that the size of the new Scotland Office should enable the Secretary of State and the Advocate General properly to discharge their functions. The agreement assumed that the office would build up to between 110-130 staff. On 1 July 1999 the Scotland Office (including the office of the Advocate General for Scotland) had 56 staff. There are currently 92 staff in post.

Young Males: Convictions

Lord Shore of Stepney: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What percentage of men under the age of 30 have a criminal record according to the latest figures available; what were the comparable figures 10 years previously; and what were the main categories of offence that men committed.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The latest research, based upon an analysis of convictions for standard list offences for males born in 1953, 1958, 1963 and 1968 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Percentage with conviction by  Year of birth 
			 the age of 1953 1958 1963 1968 
			 24 27.0% 29.7% 29.8% 26.0% 
			 28 30.0% 32.2% 32.7% N/a 
			 29 30.6% 32.7% N/a N/a 
		
	
	The principal offence (which is the offence for which the most severe sentence was given) at the first court appearance for those born in 1953 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Offence group Percentage with principal offence at first court appearance in each group % 
			 Violence against the person 9.4 
			 Sexual offences 3.0 
			 Robbery 0.6 
			 Burglary 13.4 
			 Theft and handling 50.2 
			 Fraud and forgery 3.9 
			 Criminal damage 10.2 
			 Drug offences 4.1 
			 Other offences 5.1

Refugee Legal Centre: Funding

Lord Dholakia: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they expect to reach a decision on Section 23 grant-in-aid for the Refugee Legal Centre for the years 2000-01.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The Immigration and Nationality Directorate is undergoing a period of rapid growth and expansion. The overall budget for financial year 2000-2001 remains under review but there is a provisional allocation of £6.681 million for grants for immigration advice and assistance under the terms of Section 23 of the Immigration Act 1971.
	Officials are continuing to discuss the needs of the Refugee Legal Centre, which are also under review, and a final allocation will be given as soon as possible.

Sri Lankan Asylum Seekers

Lord Dholakia: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they are satisfied with the protection offered to asylum seekers from Sri Lanka with a history of torture in the light of the report published by the Medical Foundation, Caring for the Victims of Torture.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: All asylum caseworkers receive training and instructions in dealing with applicants who are victims of torture. Any evidence of torture will be taken very seriously and caseworkers are aware of the need for sensitivity when interviewing victims of torture, as well as the United Kingdom's obligations to protect victims of torture. If there are grounds to believe that a person will, if returned, be subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, it would be inappropriate to remove them. In such cases, if the applicant does not qualify for asylum, a grant of exceptional leave would be considered.
	Previous Medical Foundation reports have been referred to, and drawn upon, in the Home Office country assessment used by caseworkers since October 1998, and also in the latest assessment of April 2000. We are carefully considering the information provided in the latest Medical Foundation report, and will continue to engage in constructive discussions with all parties who have information on conditions in Sri Lanka.

Eurostar: Costs of Euro 2000 Policing

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Who pays for the additional police patrolling the Eurostar trains during the Euro 2000 football matches.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: Eurostar met the cost of British Transport Police involvement in the Euro 2000 policing operation. In addition to escorting all Eurostar trains to and from Brussels, British Transport Police involvement included the presence of liaison officers at the Waterloo, Lille and Brussels terminals and the police intelligence centres at Lille and Driebergen. No detailed costings are available.

Kosovan Refugees: Reimbursement of Local Authority Costs

Lord Davies of Coity: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans they have to reimburse local authorities for their expenditure on the Kosovan humanitarian evacuation programme during the current financial year.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The arrangements for reimbursement are set out in Special Grant Report No. 68, which my right honourable friend the Home Secretary has laid before Parliament today. The report explains the areas of expenditure that will be eligible for the grant and invites local authorities to submit interim claims by 30 September. This will ensure the prompt repayment of the bulk of the expenditure incurred by local authorities during 2000-01.

Employment Statistics

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many people were in full-time employment in the United Kingdom on (a) 31 December 1998 and (b) 31 May 2000; and what was the United Kingdom unemployment rate on those dates.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter to Lord Pearson of Rannoch from the National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales, Office for National Statistics, Mr Len Cook, dated 6 July 2000.
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Question about full-time employment and unemployment rates in the United Kingdom.
	The table below shows seasonally adjusted estimates from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) which is the main source of labour market data on individuals. It gives the number of people who were in full-time employment in the three-month periods from November 1998 to January 1999 and February to April 2000 (the latest date for which data are available). The table also shows International Labour Organisation (ILO) unemployment rates for the same periods.
	
		
			  People in full-time employment (thousands) ILO unemployment rate (%) 
			 Nov 1998-Jan 1999 20,644 6.3 
			 Feb-Apr 2000 20,932 5.7 
		
	
	People aged 16 or over are classed as in employment by the LFS if they have done at least one hour of paid work (as an employee or self-employed) in the week prior to their LFS interview or if they have a job that they are temporarily away from. People who do unpaid work in a family business and people on government-supported training and employment programmes are also included according to the International Labour Organisation convention.
	The measure of unemployment derived from the LFS is defined on a consistent and internationally recognised basis set out by the ILO. It counts as unemployed people who are (a) without a paid job, (b) available to start work within the next two weeks, and (c) have either looked for work in the last four weeks or are waiting to start a job already obtained.

National Savings Ordinary Accounts

Lord Marlesford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What was the average number of holders of Ordinary Accounts in National Savings in each of the last five years, the average total balance invested and the total cost of administering the accounts during each year.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The average number of holders, the average total balance and the total cost of administering the Ordinary Accounts during each of the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			 Year Average Number of Holders (000s) Average Total Balance Cost of Administration (£m) 
			 1999-2000 16,167 £1,352.8m £57.094 
			 1998-1999 16,125 £1,381.3m £57.915 
			 1997-1998 16,080 £1,407.1m £59.644 
			 1996-1997 16,033 £1,427.0m £59.300 
			 1995-1996 15,985 £1,435.9m £61.100

Prosecutions for Cycling on Royal Parks Footpaths

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many cyclists have been prosecuted for cycling on footpaths in the London Royal Parks in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: Responsibility for the subject of this question has been delegated to the Royal Parks Agency. As its Chief Executive, William Weston, has not yet taken up his appointment, I have asked the Agency's Head of Policy, Viviane Robertson, to reply on his behalf.
	Letter to Lord Berkeley from the Head of Policy of the Royal Parks Agency, Viviane Robertson, dated 5 July 2000.
	As the new Chief Executive does not take up his post until 10 July, I have been asked by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to reply to your parliamentary Question about the number of cyclists prosecuted for cycling on footpaths in the Royal Parks, because this is an operational matter for which the agency is responsible.
	Neither the Royal Parks Agency nor the Royal Parks Constabulary can supply figures for the number of prosecutions. I have asked for the figures from the Office of the Attorney General and will write to you with them as soon as I have them.

Prosecutions for Speeding in the Royal Parks

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many drivers of motor vehicles have been prosecuted for speeding in the London Royal Parks in the last five years.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: Responsibility for the subject of this Question has been delegated to the Royal Parks Agency. As its Chief Executive, William Weston, has not yet taken up his appointment, I have asked the Agency's Head of Policy, Viviane Robertson, to reply on his behalf.
	Letter to Lord Berkeley from the Head of Policy of the Royal Parks Agency, Viviane Robertson, dated 5 July 2000.
	As the new Chief Executive does not take up his post until 10 July, I have been asked by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to reply to your parliamentary Question about the number of motor vehicles prosecuted for speeding in the Royal Parks, because this is an operational matter for which the agency is responsible.
	Neither the Royal Parks Agency nor the Royal Parks Constabularly can supply figures for the number of prosecutions. I have asked for the figures from the Office of the Attorney General and will write to you with them as soon as I have them.

"Burghers of Calais" Statue

Lord Carver: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether there has been any history of vandalism affecting Rodin's statue of the Burghers of Calais in Victoria Tower Gardens; and if so, whether its condition would be improved by being moved to Abingdon Green; and
	Whether Rodin's statue of the Burghers of Calais in Victoria Tower Gardens has been covered in wax; and if so why.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: Responsibility for the subject of these questions has been delegated to the Royal Parks Agency. As its Chief Executive, William Weston, has not yet taken up his appointment, I have asked the Agency's Head of Policy, Viviane Robertson, to reply on his behalf.
	Letter to Lord Carver from the Head of Policy of the Royal Parks Agency, Viviane Robertson, dated 6 July 2000.
	As the new Chief Executive does not take up his post until 10 July, I have been asked by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to reply to your parliamentary Questions about Rodin's statue of the Burghers of Calais, because Victoria Tower Gardens is the responsibility of the agency.
	I can confirm that the Burghers of Calais has been coated in wax. Wax has traditionally been used to protect bronzes from corrosive agents present in the atmosphere, and is a practice recommended by English Heritage and outlined in their technical handbook.
	There has been little recent vandalism to the sculpture, although people do try to clamber on to it. In the past some inscriptions have been carved into the wax coating of the bronze, but without damaging the bronze itself.
	The agency does not manage Abingdon Green and so we cannot comment on whether it would be a suitable site to relocate the Burghers of Calais.

"Burghers of Calais" Statue

Baroness Anelay of St. Johns: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What representations they have received since January regarding the relocation of Rodin's statue of the Burghers of Calais, which is currently located in Victoria Gardens.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: Responsibility for the subject of this question has been delegated to the Royal Parks Agency. As its Chief Executive, William Weston, has not yet taken up his appointment, I have asked the Agency's Head of Policy, Viviane Robertson, to reply on his behalf.
	Letter to Baroness Anelay of St. Johns from the Head of Policy of the Royal Parks Agency, Viviane Robertson, dated 6 July 2000.
	As the new Chief Executive does not take up his post until 10 July, I have been asked by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to reply to your parliamentary Question about Rodin's statue of the Burghers of Calais, as Victoria Tower Gardens is the responsibility of the agency.
	Since January, Sir Nicholas Goodison, Chairman of the National Art Collections Fund, has made written representations to the Agency suggesting the sculpture be resited, and Lord Carver has tabled a parliamentary Question.

Regional Theatres: Review

Baroness Anelay of St. Johns: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their response to the statement in the Boyden Report Stage One, on the English Regional Producing Theatres, that "National policy cannot start from the proposition that all 50 theatres under review have an inalienable right of access to public funding to produce at levels set by historical precedent".

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: We need to ensure that the range, viability, accessibility and excellence of theatre across the regions of England end up stronger as a result of this review.

Arts Council and Regional Arts Boards

Baroness Anelay of St. Johns: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans they have to assess and clarify the roles of the Arts Council of England and the Regional Arts Boards.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The Arts Council of England is the national funding body for the arts in England. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport assesses ACE's performance in fulfilling this role through a range of indicators set out in the Department's Funding Agreement with it. Similarly, the Arts Council has funding agreements of its own with the regional arts boards, through which it assesses the RABs' performance in meeting the Arts Council's and the Government's objectives.

"Do Not Resuscitate" Instructions: Monitoring

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What monitoring takes place of the use of "Do not resuscitate" instructions in National Health Service hospitals.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Guidance Decisions relating to Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation issued by the British Medical Association, Royal College of Nursing and Resuscitation Council (United Kingdom) recommends that such decisions are subject to clinical audit. Details of such local audits are not held centrally. We intend, through a planned Health Service Circular, to require trusts to report the outcome of such clinical audits in the annual clinical governance reports of trusts; and for the Commission for Health Improvement to pay particular attention to trusts' resuscitation decision-making processes during their reviews. We have no plans for central data returns concerning resuscitation decisions.
	The Government are committed to ensuring the development of best practice in resuscitation decision-making throughout the National Health Service, and the Department of Health will be issuing guidance to the NHS about this.

GM Maize Seed, France

Lord Morris of Castle Morris: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Following recent reports about the possible GM contamination of French maize crops, what action they are taking to check if UK crops are affected.

Baroness Hayman: Following reports in the French press last week that the French authorities had discovered low levels of GM presence in conventional maize seed imported into France, we contacted the French authorities, who confirmed on 30 June that they had indeed found some GM seed in conventional maize seed, which has been sown in south-west France. Further information now indicates that they have found three different modifications in a number of varieties of forage maize imported into France by the Company Golden Harvest. The French authorities have not yet confirmed which varieties of maize seed are involved, but have confirmed that sweetcorn varieties are not affected by their current investigations. We are seeking further information from them on the varieties concerned. However, as the varieties concerned are cultivated in southern France, it is possible that they would be unsuitable for cultivation in UK conditions.
	The GMs found in maize samples by the French authorities are BT 176 and BT 11, and one further, as yet unidentified, modification. BT 176 is insect resistant and has Part C consent within the EU under Directive 90/220 for import, food and feed use, and for cultivation. BT 11 is insect resistant and has Part C consent for import and use in animal feed. Pending further information from the French authorities, my department, the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, and the Food Standards Agency are considering what the implications would be should further investigations indicate that affected seed may have been sown in the UK.

Road Safety Advisory Panel

Baroness Pitkeathley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they plan to launch the Road Safety Advisory Panel, as announced in the road safety strategy Tomorrow's roads--safer for everyone.

Lord Whitty: The new Road Safety Advisory Panel was launched today, and I chaired the first meeting. The panel includes representatives of the main stakeholders in road safety, including the police, local authorities, road safety organisations, road user groups and other government departments. Its remit is to provide advice to Ministers on road safety policies and to advise on the planned three-yearly reviews of progress towards the casualty reduction targets set in the road safety strategy.

Nuclear Weapon Elimination

Lord Judd: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What new initiatives they are taking with the United States and other allies to accelerate the elimination of the nuclear and missile threat.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The recently concluded NPT Review Conference agreed a programme of steps which will contribute to the elimination of nuclear weapons. The UK played a leading role in securing this agreement. Our aim now is to work with the US and other allies to translate this agreement into concrete progress on non-proliferation and disarmament.
	We are also discussing with the US and other countries the scope for further international measures to curb missile proliferation.

European Security and Defence Policy

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	To what aspects of defence policy Baroness Scotland of Asthal was referring when she said, "There is a clear view that a treaty amendment is not necessary" (H.L. Deb., 14 June, col. 1638); how this statement fits with paragraph 36 of the Government's White Paper IGC: Reform for Enlargement; and what is the latest state of play with the European Strategic Defence Initiative.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The Feira European Council took note of advice from the Council Legal Service that the conclusions of the Cologne and Helsinki European Councils regarding European security and defence policy could be implemented without it being necessary to amend the Treaty on European Union. This is consistent with the Government's White Paper IGC: Reform for Enlargement.
	Progress within the European Union on European security and defence policy is summarised in the Presidency report to the Feira European Council on strengthening the common European security and defence policy, which has been placed in the Library of the House.

Sudan

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will seek to strengthen the European Union's position in relation to the Government of Sudan and its human rights record.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: We believe that the European Union's dialogue with the Government of Sudan has already resulted in a number of improvements in the human rights situation in Sudan, including the return of abductees and the release of some prisoners.
	The European Union continues to urge the Government of Sudan to improved respect for human rights and we will be reviewing progress in this field with our European partners in the autumn.

Eritrea

Lord Rea: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will intercede with the Ethiopian Government to allow Eritrean farmers to return to areas now occupied by Ethiopia in time for the current planting season.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The Cessation of Hostilities Agreement signed on 18 June by both Ethiopia and Eritrea provides for the return of civilian administration and the return of populations to those areas affected by the conflict. With our international partners, we will continue to press both sides to implement the agreement swiftly.
	We continue to monitor the humanitarian situation in Eritrea closely. We are supporting a number of organisations working with those displaced by the recent fighting.

Pakistan

Baroness Uddin: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their export licensing policy towards Pakistan.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: We continue to assess export licence applications for Pakistan on a case by case basis against the national criteria and those in the EU Code of Conduct, taking into account the statement made by my honourable friend the member for Manchester Central on 10 July 1998, Official Report, cols. 687-688. The Government have taken time to consider the situation in Pakistan and the wider region following the coup in October 1999 before deciding on a number of licence applications.
	The Government have now refused 26 Standard Individual Export Licence applications for Pakistan. We have also refused Pakistan as a permitted destination on one Open Individual Export Licence and approved its inclusion on one other such licence. We have reached these decisions following careful consideration of each licence application against the stated criteria.
	We remain concerned about defence exports to Pakistan in the light of last year's incursion at the Kargil sector of the Line of Control in Kashmir, the military coup, the possibility of diversion to undesirable end-users and continued regional tensions. We have refused licences for certain military equipment to Pakistan because we do not judge that they meet our criteria.
	The Government have issued 20 Standard Individual Export Licences for a narrow and well-defined range of equipment--eg, naval spares, bomb disposal equipment and goods for civilian end-users. We have assessed that issuing licences for this equipment would not contravene our national criteria, nor those in the EU Code of Conduct. Details of all licences issued will appear in the 2000 Annual Report.
	We will continue to assess licence applications on a case-by-case basis and keep the situation in Pakistan under close scrutiny.